Memories of 1980s Brighton wanted

[rusty redeyes]

Wisdens in Duke St, Olympus at the clock tower, Hornes for blazers

Uncle Sams in West St and if my memory serves me right there was a place next door called chatanoogas for a late night garlic bread or spag bowl(correct me if I'm wrong pls)

Remember waiting for West Ham to arrive 1 Sat morning, Fri night had been eventful. Can't remember our numbers, 30/40 odd, but we were down Queens Rd when the london train unloaded and the top end of Queens Rd became 1 heaving mass of diamond pringles, never seen a firm like it. A few hours later while mingling in Hove Pk prior to kick off I was fronted up by some mong with national health glasses threatening to cut my throat if you pleaseee, outnumbered doesn't cover it, bricking it does.

 

[BigGully]

Wisdens in Duke St, Olympus at the clock tower, Hornes for blazers

Uncle Sams in West St and if my memory serves me right there was a place next door called chatanoogas for a late night garlic bread or spag bowl(correct me if I'm wrong pls)

Remember waiting for West Ham to arrive 1 Sat morning, Fri night had been eventful. Can't remember our numbers, 30/40 odd, but we were down Queens Rd when the london train unloaded and the top end of Queens Rd became 1 heaving mass of diamond pringles, never seen a firm like it. A few hours later while mingling in Hove Pk prior to kick off I was fronted up by some mong with national health glasses threatening to cut my throat if you pleaseee, outnumbered doesn't cover it, bricking it does.

Yep Chatanoogas it was.

Nice food then a runner even if the old guy on the door was there !!

 

[Skaville]

Late night shopping in Churchill Square was essentially an excuse for masses of school kids to mob up and run around after each other with spray string, spray snow and other offensive weapons.

 

[Highfields Seagull]

I seem to recall that concrete stack of crap in front of Churchill Square in the old photos was called The Spirit Of Brighton :wtf:

My memories are a bit hazy as I was fairly young at the time, but I'm sure there was a Tescos down in the toilet-scented, dark, lower level of the old Churchill Square, back in the days when Tesco wasn't a leading retailer, but a pioneer of cheap junk. There might have been a Sainsburys around there somewhere too, or was that a Fine Fare?

Wasn't there a Beejams too?

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I remember the Tesco's from what must have been the early 70's - we did the weekly shop there - I used to help my big sister (out of the football season .............). It was certainly nothing like Tesco's now. For a start I remember everything being a garish red.

 

[The Spanish]

I remember the Tesco's from what must have been the early 70's - we did the weekly shop there - I used to help my big sister (out of the football season .............). It was certainly nothing like Tesco's now. For a start I remember everything being a garish red.

the cafe in BHS was tip top. Used to get dragged there with my nan when little so she could meet her mates.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

the cafe in BHS was tip top. Used to get dragged there with my nan when little so she could meet her mates.

I don't remember there being a lot of competition on where to get a cup of tea - I remember people saying how great BHS was. Wasn't it on the top floor ?

 

[rusty redeyes]

I remember 2 encounters with Tottenham, 1 mid week, being in Churchill Sq as they came across from Air St and realising we were well outnumbered and scattering through WH Smith picking up craft knives on the way.

Another Yid encounter on a Fri night, being going off all round town most of the night. We'd had the upper hand until they finally got their act together about 11pm ish. Think we'd been split up by the filth by then and only a few of us being in West St, and I clearly remember a coloured lad, well smart, burberry trench, burberry deerstalker and brolley. He started waving the brolly around as if he was conducting an orchestra and a massive firm appeared from Air St & Dyke Rd. I stood in the doorway of Spud u like as they steamed down the hill and took a good shot to the left eye, best shiner I've ever had. Toe to toe in Duke St and a few arrests leading to what I think was the 1st ever sitting of B'ton Mags on a Sat morn.

 

[rusty redeyes]

Was there a club called Sloopy's?

 

[BigGully]

the cafe in BHS was tip top. Used to get dragged there with my nan when little so she could meet her mates.

The coffee shop underneath Miss Selfridge, now that WAS tip top !!

 

[The Spanish]

The coffee shop underneath Miss Selfridge, now that WAS tip top !!

I am not sure the kiddie doing his research was really after all this.

his PHD will be

What was the biggest off in the eighties

what casual clobber did you wear

what drugs were you on

where was the nicest lemon merengue pie when out shopping with your nan

 

[rusty redeyes]

I am not sure the kiddie doing his research was really after all this.

his PHD will be

What was the biggest off in the eighties

what casual clobber did you wear

what drugs were you on

where was the nicest lemon merengue pie when out shopping with your nan

Too numerous to mention, but most Fri nights every other week during the football season especially when a london club were in town. Also Man C, Wolves, Stoke, Portsmouth, leeds and Port Vale. West St against Arsenal Mods when the Jam played the B'ton Centre. Ipswich and Oxford in Hove Park by the putting green, Peterboro away and the divvy with the pink jumper, palace away on boxing day and the CIS club in South Croydon/Coulsdon.

Lois cords and Jeans with bottoms frayed and slits in the hem and waistband, Farahs and blazer ( don't ask me why!), Lacoste polos, Pringle and Lyle & Scott, Ellesse & Fila trackies, Diadora trainers and bizarrely cycle tops!!!!

Speed

Too ashamed to be seen out with me

 

[rusty redeyes]

Extendable brollies, Aquascutum macs and scarf, burberry golfer jacket and burberry trench coats and scarf, deerstalker hats

 

[The Spanish]

Extendable brollies, Aquascutum macs and scarf, burberry golfer jacket and burberry trench coats and scarf, deerstalker hats

and later into the eighties, f***ing dungarees.

 

[rusty redeyes]

and later into the eighties, f***ing dungarees.

So wrong
I also remember jumbo cords in stupid colours.
Were ski jackets in the 80's, from the small sport shop opposite wollies in Western Rd? Funniest sight was watching Qp ha ha ha playing away in Iceland early in the season and a firm of their finest coloured lads turning up thinking it was still summer/autumn and shivering their nuts off:thud:

 

[Jambo Seagull]

Sitting in deepest NJ, laughing and crying (homesick) at the same time. Stream of consciousness as follows.

I was 14 in 1980 and emigrated to the US in 1988, so the 80's were my defining years.

Best Club - Busbys facing the seafront on Saturday Night, Coasters on Fridays. The slags seemed to rotate in this direction.

Pub Crawl Order - Pavilion Tavern by the Steine, The Sussex, The Pump House, The Druids, The Vic and then off to (see above) with copious pints of Tennents Extra

Clobber - Fiorucci Jeans, Levi 501 (red tag) Jeans, Diadora Bjorn Borg Trainers (Gold), Ellesse, Lacoste, Sergio Tachini Shirts, Pringle Jumpers, Lyle and Scott

Music - The Smiths, Haircut 100, Spandau Ballet, Ultravox, Talk Talk, Duran Duran, Howard Jones, The Police, U2, A-Ha, Thomas Dolby,

Jobs - I worked at Gatwick for BCAL, big local one was Amex, perhaps it still is.

Random - Peter Pan amusements on Madeira Drive, The Marina when it was just a building site, Uncle Sams Burgers, Donatellos when it was 10% of the size it is now, Top Shop, Churchill Sq open to the weather, ABC, Odeon and Astoria Pictures, Amusement Arcades at the botton of West St, Dine and Dash nights up Preston Street, Skateboarders at the Churchill Sq Car Park, Virgin Record Shop up Queens Road, Secondhand shops in the North Laines, Pavilion that changed colors every night, Fountains that worked opposite the King and Queens, Clock above Radio Brighton by the Dome, Green Brighton Buses before Southdown...are there any Blue and White Buses left? The 49A route had one. Playing football against english language students in Preston Park, All the European Birds in the Summer with EF (EZ F***) Bags on their shoulders, Hanningtons Dept Store,

Football - ENG U21 vs. Norway U21 Wardies Hat-trick, Both Cup Finals, Aways Days at Peteborough on a Snowy Saturday packed into London Road, Northampton Town when they charged down that cricket field at the end of the game, Liverpool in the League Cup on a Tuesday Night. The smell of the lottery tickets they sold at the Goldstone (yellow and blue?)

I could go on, but it seems like I already did...............

This is very weird. I am exactly the same age as you and left to go to uni in 1985, spending less and less time in Brighton until 1990 since when I've lived permanently up here. Worked for Amex full time in 1985 and then in the uni holidays after that.

Used to frequent similar pubs as well. In the early 80s, we'd go to Coasters on a Friday night with Rory. Busbys occasionally. Also Smugglers & Night Fever on East Street, then later in the decade The Escape (both upstairs and downstairs when you could go between the two), the Savannah. Fave other pubs - the Quadrant, the Volunteer - almost opposite Radio Brighton.

What about the Sergeant Yorkes at Brighton Station? My dad was the general manager of that place. Always weird when I go down to Brighton now to see it isn't there.

The 49a blue & White bus to Moulescoomb. Surely the hardest bus in Brighton.

I remember moving to Brighton in the early 70s and thinking that Churchill Square was space age. By the mid-80s it was an embarrassment.

I reckon I left Brighton just before it got really London trendy...

 

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

Pirates Deep

The busy bee bus (Yes I grew up on the Bristol Estate)

The great storm of '87 and the damage it did

Orianas (ok so I never went there but cast jealous eyes at my big sister getting ready to go out for the night there)

The Marina just being well, a marina with a big Gateway (?) superstore instead of ASDA.

The West Pier still being in one piece.

Punks hanging out at the Level.

 

[caesar]

Some great memories there. Remember Spurs on the Friday evening as i was chased along the seafront for about a mile before they gave up (wouldnt fancy my chances these days!)
Club wise Coasters holds a special place in my heart as the first nightclub i went to and then frequented every week for about 2 years(except when i got banned for a month). Always had a good 40/50 lads in there and it kicked off most weeks with visiting firms or coach loads from Crawley etc.
After Coasters usually went to Capital Pizza for a late night bite - Great days

 

[Spunk Bubble]

The windswept desolation of Churchill Square.

God bless the old Churchill Square. So many memories

 

[Kick Ass Minton]

West St Uncle Sams
Gamer in Churchill Sq
Bus ID
Athena B Crashing into the Beach